If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

This is great!!! The art has always been top notch, but the writing seems to improved since your last work. I'm also amazed at the level detail you put in the character designs. We gotta have a "behind the scenes" documentary after this is done.

When He-Man awakens, he is still in a sunless underground cavern. Around him are thousands of Reptons in chains and collars. The clatter of mining work is all around him in the dark caves, and a big human male stands before him. “You’re awake already? Good. Most take a full day to recover from the Gargons. Not that you’ll get much rest time around here.”
He-Man shakes his head, unable to rid himself of a haze dulling his senses. “Who . . . am I,” he asks.

“Ah,” says the big man, “they’ve hit you with the Obliterator. You must have been quite a challenge for them then. You’re in Targa, young man. I am Garn, Slaver Prime of the Mines. I answer directly to Lodar. You are fortunate—I am in need of a Second. You’ll have to prove yourself in the Fighting Arena, but you look fit enough. Keep that pretty face of yours intact and you’ll be Queen Balina’s favorite.”
“I don’t understand. Am I a slave?”

“Keep asking questions and you could be. Fight well in the Arena, and you’ll be an overseer like me. Come, you’ll be going up soon.”
Garn takes He-Man to a subterranean arena where the slaves and overseers train to be gladiators for the Circus of Targa.
Garn tests He-Man’s strength and is impressed, but He-Man’s head remains clouded and he has trouble focusing on his opponent.
When he survives several head on strikes by the battle clubs, strikes that would have killed any other man, Garn is amazed.
He-Man lifts Garn’s gladiators over his head to stop their attacks. “By the Elders’ brows, you have power! No wonder they cast the Obliterator on you so fast. You are more than ready for the Great Arena!”

He-Man witnesses the cruelty of Targa’s slave pits first hand as Garn leads him through the mines. Hideous, misshapen creatures called Kobolds are the primary enforcers. They appear mindless, possibly controlled by a strange substance that He-Man sees them ingesting. To his surprise, Garn seems no less revolted by the Kobolds and their treatment of the Reptons, yet he does nothing.
As Garn take He-Man to the upper levels of the Mines, they pass the recaptured Lizard Man. The Repton recognizes He-Man and tries to remind him of his true identity, but He-Man does not recognize his own name. “How is it you remember while I do not,” he asks Lizard Man.

“They say the Obliterator only works once, but that is usually enough,” Lizard Man explains as the Targans pull him away. “The others will help us, He-Man! I escaped once, I can do it again!”
“He’s a fool if he thinks that,” Garn laughs. “No one escapes Targa. Even those who escape the pits are recaptured or killed.”

“Why,” asks He-Man. “Why are you all living like this? Why are these people in chains?”

Garn blinks, as if the answer was obvious. “Because they were captured, that’s why! If they escape, they know they’ll be caught again and beaten and then put back in the chains anyway, so they stay where they are. And you’ll stop asking questions if you don’t want to end up like them.” He-Man did as Garn ordered, but he did not understand why the Reptons were slaves and he was to be something else.

In the larger arena on the surface, He-Man is pitted against more gladiators for the amusement of Geldor and Balina. Geldor is especially pleased with He-Man’s strength, and wishes to see him fight greater and greater opponents until at last He-Man has only Garn left to defeat. They clash, and He-Man realizes that Garn is afraid of him for the first time.

He asks Garn, “What will happen to you if I win?”

Garn says nothing, but the fear in his eyes answers the question. He-Man disarms him and Geldor applauds.
“Excellent, gladiator! Finish him off!”

He-Man lets Garn get back up and throws down his weapon. “I won’t take his life—not for your pleasure of anyone’s.” Geldor is furious and orders the other Gladiators to kill him, but He-Man has already defeated them and there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that he could do it again.

“Magnificent,” Balina says with glee.

Geldor ignores her. “Very well then,” he says to He-Man with a cold smile. “If Garn’s life matters so much to you, then he can be your Second. You are now Slaver Prime. Report to Lodar at once!”

“Coward,” Balina scoffs quietly after Geldor leaves. “He backs down and disguises it badly as generosity. These men will rebel against him before they follow him.” She watches the gladiators rallying around He-Man, impressed by his strength and moved by his mercy. She snaps for her wizard Drakka to come to her. “I must know who this man is. Bring him to me, Drakka, before he lands in Lodar’s clutches.”
Drakka obeys, intercepting He-Man as the guards escort him back to the mines. He leads He-Man to Balina’s private chambers, where she welcomes him with a sensual smile.

“I saw you in the Arena. You fight well. Tell me of yourself . . . or do you remember anything?”

“I think they called me . . . He-Man.”

“He-Man? I’ve heard that name before. They say he is the reincarnation of the Grayskull legend from long ago. But that is folk lore, and you are very real.” She draws herself close to him. “Your power is great, and best of all you have fire. The others look to you already like they look to no man…they see a leader in you. I have been looking for a man such as you. Targa needs strength now. The forces of Darkness are growing, and Targa will be lost if it has no one strong like you to protect it. Torgul is an old man, Geldor is a coward, and I do not trust that foreign King Randor or his alliance of alien kingdoms. Targa is on its own, as it has always been. But you . . . you could make Targa strong.”

He-Man rejects her. “A city built on the backs of slaves doesn’t have the strength to stand on its own.”

Balina laughs. “Bless the Elders, they took your name but left pretty little adages like that in your head? Mighty one, I have no desire to keep slaves. Free them if you like. It is Geldor who amuses himself with the slaves. But that too could be solved if you joined me. With you, we would not need an alliance with Eternos! Eternia could be ours by our own hands.”
He-Man thinks he hears a distant voice calling him, another woman--this one with wings like a falcon. But her voice is very faint and he cannot concentrate long enough to hear her clearly. Balina demands back his attention with a slap.

“Do you think the Queen of Targa assigns her affections to just anyone? I offer you the envy of a kingdom, and you stare at the floor!”

“Can you restore my memory,” he ask her suddenly and Balina is caught off guard.

She questions Drakka, but the wizard shakes his head. “The spell used was the Obliterator. It comes from Lodar, and only he knows how it might be undone.”

“Then I must speak to Lodar,” He-Man concludes and turns to leave.

“He will not give you what you want, champion,” she calls after him. “You will spoil your life chasing memories that will never return. I offer you the chance to make new memories…better memories. Consider my offer. The Slavery in Targa can end with you.”

Who is this mysterious Lodar? Will He-Man recover his lost memory? And What has become of Teela and Battlecat? Find out more clues in the next chapter: “A Tale of Two Cities”

Welcome To Targa

Targa City, one of the largest kingdoms in Eternia. Ruled by King Torgul it is a prosperous city built on the technological prowess of the Targan people. Probably most well known for the Great Lake situated in the mountain slopes above the city which supplies the Kingdom with all the water it needs. It is also the source of the Great Targa Falls, truly a spectacle of Nature and a stark contrast to the industrialised city.
Another claim to fame for Targa is the Great Coliseum - home to the Circos Eternia. Held every few years, the Games pit the greatest champions from various Kingdoms in Eternia against each other for the coveted Grand Championship.

Wow guys, I'm impressed with the scope of your project, and how much you two have done with this. Verrry cool...I'm liking the way you incorporated the ol' school "slave city" story from the mini-comics. And the art fits right in with the new school cartoon...An interesting blend of old and new...Kudos!

Fictional characters are just that. Fictional. They have no personality or free will of their own.
Writers and editors mold them to their own wants and needs.
All we as the audience and fans can do is pick and choose our favorite interpretation and ignore the rest.

The Sorceress struggles to reach He-Man telepathically, but her calls cannot reach him. She senses a hand surrounding He-Man, and a malevolent mind laughing at the folly of her attempts. Suddenly she recognizes the aura of the Cosmic Enforcers and she calls out to Zodak for help, but his answer is cold.

“I cannot interfere, Sorceress. He-Man is facing a test of great import. He must face these trials without our help, or he will not be ready for the greater battle that lies ahead.”
With that, Zodak blocks the Sorceress from his mind, ending their telepathic bond. Determined to help He-Man, the Sorceress reaches out again, this time searching for the Masters. But the same dark force obscuring He-Man’s thoughts from her has also engulfed the realm around him. Only one mind is close enough to the Sorceress for her to reach, a mind that shares the Sorceress's very blood.

“Teela,” the Sorceress calls, “you must hear me!”

Meanwhile, in Targa’s main arena, the Champions of Eternia are training for the Circos Eternia, unaware that mere hours earlier the arena had been the site of a battle where brave warriors almost lost their lives. Man-At-Arms arrives to see his protégé, Eternos’s champion in the Circos Eternia (and newest Master) the Clamp Champ. The Champ is aware of the mysterious circumstances that preceded their arrival in Targa, and he knows that Prince Adam and Teela are missing.

“The Targans assure me that everything that can be done is being done,” Man-At-Arms tells him, “but I’m not convinced.”
“Do you think the Targans are behind their disappearance, Duncan?”
“Maybe. Queen Marlena trusts Torgul, but he’s not in the picture so far. For all we know, Geldor and Balina are plotting behind his back.” He holds up a tracking monitor, indicating a target inside Targa. “I placed a homing device on Lizard Man before he left with the others. According to it, Lizard Man is still in Targa. If I didn’t know better, I’d say the device is malfunctioning, but I’m unable to investigate with the Targans watching us so closely. And I can’t summon more Defenders without tipping them off to my suspicions.”

“Then perhaps,” the Champ says, “I should be the one to investigate. As a champion in the games, I won’t stir up as much attention touring the city as you and the Defenders.”

“My thoughts exactly,” says Man-At-Arms with a smile. “Let me know the instant you find out about Teela. The Targans insist the city is secure but it's what is inside the walls that troubles me.”

The Champ places a hand on Man-At-Arms’s shoulder. “Teela’s a smart girl, Duncan, and stubborn like her old man. I’m sure she is safe even as we speak."

Meanwhile, far away, the voice of the Sorceress carries into Teela's dreams, calling her name. “Teela! A terrible evil has taken hold of He-Man. I am unable to reach him, or any of our allies in Targa. Evil magic is all around you! You must beware the wizard--”

Teela opens her eyes in a luxurious bedroom suite. She recognizes the city of Oberon’s totemic architecture outside her window. She had been exhausted on the flight to Oberon and had slept through their arrival. A woman enters to check on her.

“My father will be relieved to find you well,” says the woman. “I am Rana, Princess of Oberon. You saved my brother Dakkon’s life.”
Teela asks about the others, if He-Man has been found, but Rana has few answers. “The big cat is feeding in our stables. He’s consumed very little for such a large animal, as if his strength has no end.” When Teela inquires about Sala-Man-Dor, Rana tells her, “He converses with my father. Come, you’d best wear Oberon garments since your own were damaged in battle.”

Rana takes Teela to see Dakkon, but he does not remember her or even his own name. “He’s the same as Lizard Man,” Teela says, bewildered.

“Yes,” says Rana. “My father believes that this is the way of these hunters your friend described. They use magic to rob their victims of their memories to weaken their wills.” Rana goes on to explain that the Oberon Healers are unable to reverse the amnesia effects.

Teela remembers the Sorceress’s words in her dream, and suspects that He-Man also has the same amnesia. In the main hall of Oberon, Teela finds Sala-Man-Dor in conference with King Thales. The Oberon King seems interested in the Reptons’ plight, but his advisor, Tarrak, is suspicious and defensive. He accuses Sal and Teela of fabricating their story, and harming Dakkon themselves.

“Does anyone in this valley have advisors who aren’t hostile,” asks Teela hotly.
But Thales is interested in Sal’s account of the Gargons. “Such demons were described in our ancient lore. The purple skin and eyes of fire were the offspring of the Enemy. Do you know the story?” Teela and Sal shake their heads, and Thales relates to them the origin of Targa and Oberon.

“Long ago, a warrior fell from the stars. He was an enforcer of order in the cosmos, summoned to Eternia to track down a vile Enemy of his people. The enemy had once been another of the Enforcer’s own kind, but a malevolent force had corrupted him and made him powerful. Here on Eternia, the Enemy became stronger and revealed his true beastly form. The Enforcer’s cosmic craft crashed in our valley, where he was saved by two brothers who had come here to hunt. They tended his injuries, and though they did not understand his weapons, they defended him until he was strong enough to engage the Enemy himself.
"But the Enforcer was still not at his full strength, and though he felled the Enemy and smote his noxious form upon the land, the he received a wound even he could not overcome. In return for their help, the Enforcer healed the brothers’ wounds with the Liquid of Life, an elixir that merely replenished the Enforcers, but granted near immortality to those born on Eternia. Since the Enforcer was too badly injured for the Liquid to save him, he asked that the brothers bury him in the valley and place his belongings on the mountaintop. His name was Zodac of the Cosmos."

"The brothers then founded two houses, here in this valley where the battle was fought. Years later, the brothers would don the armor of the fallen warrior to fly to the aide of the other Enforcers, and would themselves become members of their galactic order. Yet with the brothers gone, their families turned on one another as their sons became greedy and desired the secret of the Liquid of Life. Countless wars were fought, until finally the brothers returned and told the cities that they were ashamed of their descendants’ pettiness--for the Secret of the Liquid of Life is in the land itself, and all creatures that dwell upon it and within. It would remain unknown to both houses until peace came to our valley. While the people of Oberon accepted this judgment and sought forgiveness, the people of Targa spat at the brothers and cursed their reproach. So it was that Oberon has long sought peace while the Targans scavenge the world greedily, forever seeking the secret that has eluded them.”

“We are not so noble as you make us seem, father,” says Rana slowly. “We, like Targa, have never reached out to our neighbors in this valley—the Reptons. My husband, Garn, wished to offer friendship to Pythos, but your advisors,” she flashes an unkind look at Tarrak, “spoke against it and you refused to help. When he tried to do it alone, he disappeared like the Reptons in Sala-Man-Dor’s story.”
“But how do the Gargons fit in,” asks Teela.

Thales explains, “It is said that the enemy was not truly destroyed when he was cast down into the land. Just as the Liquid of Life is a part of the valley, so is the Enemy. And traces of his poisonous being have polluted some springs and wells, and created sad mutations among us. The poor wretches were called the Kobolds, the children of the Enemy. Now a more terrible creation has come, the Gargons. Perhaps the time has come at last for us to consult the Cosmic Enforcers themselves.”

Teela is shocked. “You can do that?”
Thales nods. “The Enforcers made an outpost from the shrine in the mountains where the brothers took Zodac’s belongings. It is a holy place to us, and should only be visited in times of greatest need. I believe now is such a time. Teela, you and Rana will take Dakkon there. If anyone can restore his memory, it will be the Enforcers. Come, and I will show you the path to find the Eternian Outpost of the Cosmic Enforcers: Point Dread.”

Tarrak listens to all that is said and quietly retreats to his inner sanctum. He accesses a magic mirror and calls on Geldor. “Master, there is trouble. King Thales means to summon the Cosmic Enforcers! If they learn of our plan to find the Liquid of Life beneath Targa, we are all doomed!”

“I see. Never fear; we anticipated Thales’s eventual meddling. Why else would we have placed you in his court, Tarrak? Are the others with you?” From the shadows of Tarrak’s chambers, Kobra Kahn emerges with a group of Kobolds. “Excellent! Take the Kobolds at your disposal and remind our Oberon friends why it is called Point DREAD!”

Will the Cosmic Enforcers save He-Man and the Masters of the Universe? Will Teela be able to restore Dakkon and He-Man’s memories? Will Clamp Champ uncover the truth of the Targan conspiracy? Look for the answers in the next thrilling chapter: The Power of Point Dread!